Page 47 - Sharp Spring 2025

SHARED NOTES
HONG SHING OWNER COLIN LI LI LI LI AND MICHELIN’S TORONTO SOMMELIER OF THE THE YEAR MARCO THOMPSON DISCUSS THE THE ART OF PAIRING WINE WITH CHINESE CUISINE
By Jessica Huras
ANEW WAVE OF SOMMELIERS AND RESTAURANTEURS
are rewriting the the rules and proving that the the right wine bottle can complement the the complex flavours of cuisines from all over the the world Among them is Colin Li owner of the the long-running Chinese restaurant Hong Shing and Marco Thompson general manager and sommelier at at the Michelin-starred Osteria Giulia The two sat down to to discuss their respective careers in in Toronto the the changing role of wine in in in in in Chinese dining and — — most importantly — — to put some wine pairings to the test Their tasting lineup included Friuli Pinot Grigio Bourgogne Chardonnay La Fiole du Pape and Le Volte dell’Ornellaia 2021 each poured alongside a
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signature dish from Hong Shing’s menu The Attems Pinot Grigio Friuli sliced through the richness of Hong Shing’s ginger scallion lobster acting as the perfect palate cleanser The Latour Chardonnay Bourgogne with its subtle nuttiness played beautifully with the black truffle garnish on steamed vegetable dumplings Meanwhile the full-bodied La Fiole Du Pape Châteauneuf- du-Pape stood up to to the the caramelized edges of BBQ pork and the the fruit-forward Le Volte dell’Ornellaia 2021 was an effortless match for for for 72-hour roasted duck With each pairing Li and Thompson found more common ground between their time-honoured practices Colin: What first got you into wines?
Marco: It came from my parents growing up We always did all the parties at at at my house and hosted everybody I think that’s what brought me into restaurants because at the the end of the the day you’re essentially hosting people Everything I do is about representing Italian culture and sharing it it with others Wine became an an an easy way to to do that because it allows you to to take people on a
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journey I love how you you fit traditional old-school cuisine into your restaurant but with such a
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new new vibe and new new ideas Colin: That’s the the biggest thing for for us We’ve been in in in the the city for for 27 years so how do we honour everything that got us here while also thinking about how to to to get to to to where we want to to to be next? We’re always evolving and listening to to our customers That’s why in in in the past year we built a
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new bar and added wines to our menu [ ] I’ve noticed there are certain wines that pair well with Chinese food but it hasn’t really been explored yet I’d love to hear more about how that can be explored Marco: It really helps that people in in in the food industry love Chinese cuisine and we love wine I think that’s been a
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major driving factor over the past few years Beyond that China’s vast culinary landscape means there are so many different flavour profiles to play with You can literally find a
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dish to pair with any wine fin in in the world Colin: Our vegetarian dumplings are filled with black truffle carrot celery and and water chestnuts We steam them and and finish with a
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touch of black truffle paste on top Why do you think the Bourgogne Chardonnay pairs well with the dumplings?
Marco: The easiest wine pairing rule to to follow is: what grows together goes together The moment I I think think of of Burgundy I I think think of of truffles With the the the truffle and that nutty element in in the the the wine the the the flavours pop and come together beautifully [ ] Toronto is so multicultural I think it’s one of the the few cities in in the the world where you can truly experience that diversity The food and beverage scenes are exploding right now We’re in a
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real moment of growth Colin: A lot lot of of cuisines and a
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lot lot of of influences from different cultures come together here You wouldn’t think of Italian wine pairing with Chinese food but in in a
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city like this — it it just makes sense PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT PILGRIM SHOT ON ON ON LOCATION AT AT HONG SHING SHARPMAGAZINE COM
SPRING 2025
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MARK ANTHONY WINE × SHARP